What’s Stopping You?

There are many people who want to be able to do a specific skill such as a pull up or handstand push up, but they are not willing to put in the work. They come up with numerous excuses such as age, weight, and ‘just wanting to maintain their fitness’. It is a fantastic feeling once you achieve a specific goal and you know that all that hard work has paid off. So what stops people from pushing themselves to reach those goals? I will tell you exactly what it is- Fear. Your mind fills you with thoughts of failure, and nobody really wants to fail. So instead of even trying, we make excuses. I know I do the exact same thing when it comes to lifting heavier weights. My excuses:

“I’m so small, there’s no way I can lift that”

“I don’t want to squish my intervertebral discs” (yes, i studied the spine this year)

“I don’t want to lift that heavy” (actually I REALLY do!)

“I don’t want to get big” (I actually don’t care, i just want to be able to lift heavier)

There is no doubt in my mind that I want to lift heavier and improve my Olympic lifts as well as every other component of Crossfit, BUT there is a doubt in my mind about whether I can actually do it. This thought is the primary thing stopping me from actually achieving my goals. I know there are many other people out there with these thoughts prohibiting them from taking something a step further, whether it be in fitness, business, a relationship, or any other aspect of life.

The most successful people in the world have failed countless times. I remember reading a book, “Screw it, Just do It!” about Richard Branson (the guy that started all things Virgin-active, airways, etc) and being completely shocked at how many times he failed, but just kept picking himself up and perusing another dream. This book tough me that no matter what dream you have, you have the capacity to pursue it, whether or not you accomplish it is another story, but at least give it a try.

“The Fear of Failure Leads to Failure”

What are you training for? LIFE!

I have come across many people who ask me why I train so hard. My number one answer is that I am training for life. Of course I have many other reasons, such as aesthetics, strength, to one day compete and to achieve the best, healthiest, strongest version of myself. But ultimately, all the time and effort I have put into my training has translated into many aspects of life. Being strong allows you to do many things some people can’t, such as lift a heavy box or simply move a couch… even jump over a wall if need be. I may not be ‘skinny’ but I can damn sure lift some heavy shit and do a whole lot of other things most girls can’t. Physical strength is not the only aspect that training improves; mental and emotional strength comes hand in hand. Being able to finish an extremely hard WOD or get that personal best (PB) weight requires a whole lot of determination, confidence and belief in yourself.

Working out is not just about creating a beautiful body, it also involves training your body to do things it was never capable of doing before. The human body is the most complex machine you will find on earth. Yes, more complex than your Apple computer and even more so than an airplane. There are so many systems that are involved in getting your body to do the various things it is capable of, but unfortunately, due to the growing increase of technology and just plain old laziness, most people have no idea what their bodies can do… and most of them will never be able to experience it either. Personally, I am extremely proud of what my body has managed to do in the last 23 years… and I am extremely excited to find out what else it has in store for me.

So here is my advice to you: If you aren’t currently training or your training has plateaued, PLEASE get off your butt and go find some form of training that you enjoy and test your limits. It could be anything from a social sport, cycling, swimming, group fitness or CROSSFIT (probably your best option ;))… it does not matter what you are doing, as long as your are doing something. If you are already training hard and pushing your body to its limits… then PLEASE continue and set yourself some goals. Get those PB’s and set some records. Your body is only as strong as your mind allows it to be.

So get out of that comfort zone.

Set them GOALS!

My vision board

I know i haven’t posted in a while, but in my defense, I have been writing exams and I am slightly stressed. But, here I am, taking some time to write about wonderful things called goals. No, I’m not talking about scoring a goal in soccer, I am talking about real life goals, things you want to achieve by a certain time… those aspirations you have in your mind that you tuck away because you are too scared that you are going to fail at achieving them. Those kind of goals.

Now, most people say they want to do something, they have all these ideas and thoughts, but they seldom put them into action or take steps to achieve them. This is a great way to stay in your comfort zone and never really achieve something amazing… but if you EVER want to make something happen, you need to set goals. These can be daily, weekly, monthly or even annual goals. I am a firm believer in visualizing what you want. The universe works in very mysterious ways, and if you want something, and i mean REALLY want something, you WILL get it. But you can’t just sit there and do nothing about it. Take action! Write down what you want, make a vision board, tell people… do whatever you have to do to achieve those goals.

I am living proof that visualizing and writing down what you want works. Last year (my first year at university), I told myself that I was going to make the first team in Netball, get a personal training job at the gym and do well in my studies. I managed to do all of this. I then went on to believe that Mitch (who at that stage was my long-distance man) would quit the army and come back to live with me. And what happened? Exactly that! This year, I started Crossfit. Six months ago I told myself that I am going to get good at this, I am going to be able to do kipping pull ups, muscle ups, double unders, handstand push ups and lift heavy weights. And now, I am well on my way to being a great Crossfitter.

So lovely people, do yourselves a favour, if there is anything you want to achieve, and I mean ANYTHING from quitting smoking, eating healthy, writing a book, opening a business or becoming a star athlete… set goals and MAKE them happen… no one is going to do it for you.

Week 1- and cheat meals!

It has been a really long and tough week for us since. It was my  last week of lectures and I wrote a test and practical exam. I definitely push myself too hard sometimes and expect A LOT, which places me under unnecessary stress (trying to work on this slight problem). However, I still managed to follow my eating plan and worked out every day at very high intensities. I really love the food we have been eating because it is clean and light and leaves me feeling fresh and full of energy. Mitch on the other hand, finds it very bland and plain and sometimes struggles to stomach it. But, he has still managed to stick to the plan really well and I am very proud of him! Mitch even went out for dinner with friends for international burger day and had a healthy bun-less burger! He does claim that he feels healthier and leaner but because he doesn’t enjoy the food that much he is not eating enough of it to fuel his Crossfit workouts.

It is safe to say that we are both looking forward to our cheat meal today which WILL definitely be Pizza for me and a little dessert which i have not chosen yet. Mitch is very excited to devour a pizza AND two-minute noodles and most likely some dessert.Since Mitch is such a big guy and works out at such a high intensity, we are considering two cheat meals for him. After a week of eating very clean food, a cheat meal can do your body a great deal of good. After consuming less calories then you burn, a cheat meal can rev up your metabolism and increase fat burning as well as fuel your workout for the following day. But, make sure you plan your cheat so that you don’t overindulge. Keep to foods that have a balance of macro nutrients such as burgers, pizza, stir fries, curry’s and maybe a little cake. Try to stay away from excessively sugary foods that provide no nutritional content. Your body still needs the vital nutrients, sugar and other excessively processed foods could actually be a detriment to your body.

So cheat, but cheat wisely!

Also… cheat MEAL… NOT cheat DAY!

Achieveing the impossible

In my opinion, Life is all about pushing yourself to your limits to find out what really makes your life worth living. It’s one giant treasure hunt for that perfect fit that takes you on hundreds of different adventures and fills you with a hundred more amazing memories. Actually, at the end of the day, that’s all life is… adventure after adventure, many years of experiences, and simply just making the most of every minute of every day. However, many people don’t view it this way. Hell, sometimes I don’t even see it like that. Life can definitely get the better of you from time to time, but you just have to suck it up and keep moving.

I know I have been preaching about Crossfit, but it has had such a huge impact on my life so why not preach? I have been able to conquer things in the last five months that I never thought I could. Crossfit has allowed me to push myself physically beyond any limit I ever thought I had. I am a full time student, part time Coach and trying to start my own business…Inevitably life sometimes sucks. But, I have learnt that if you drop the bar, you just need to pick it back up and keep trying and keep practicing that skill until you have it just right. This is what I have learnt from Crossfit, and it applies to life in such a big way. No matter how tough life may get, all that extra energy and time spent will be worth it in the end. Nothing is done for nothing.

There have been so many skills that I have managed to accomplish in the last five months, but nothing compares to the moment I managed to get a muscle up after months of trying and failing consistently. It is one of the hardest gymnastic skills to achieve in Crossfit, and I finally got one. It just proves how persistence and consistency pays off. Mental toughness also plays a huge role as it is quite demoralizing to constantly peruse something and fail at it every time. But, as soon as that failure turns to success, you know it has all been worth it.

So, whatever it is you are trying to succeed at, keep doing it until you get it. Don’t stop. Don’t give up. You want it, so get it!

The Last Supper…

Given the fact that Mitch and I are starting this transformation diet tomorrow, we may have indulged a little too much this weekend. Friday night we had the most delicious Mexican food and I have have pretty much been eating Futurelife and oat pancakes at every opportunity… breakfast, snack, lunch, dessert… I am now hoping I am very sick of them. Mitch has been gorging himself on two-minute noodles and chocolate.

Spotted this Aero near mitch… a smudge of chocolate on his face…

Mitch’s last two-minute noodle lunch

But, it is now Sunday, we have done our mass grocery shopping and have meal prepped as much as possible. Our grocery list consisted of:

• chicken
• tuna
• mince
• eggs (LOTS OF THEM!)
• spinach
• broccoli
• green beans
• gem squash
• oats
• brown rice
• sweet potato
• lemon juice
• Cocoa (to try satisfy Mitch’s sweet tooth)

Boiling some Gem Squash

deliciously plain grilled chicken

I cannot wait to start this eating plan, personally I do not like eating junk food because I can feel the effect on my body immediately, currently I am feeling very bloated and tired. So I am really looking forward to eating clean food, feeling great and seeing amazing results (hopefully).

“I have eaten so much junk food the last two days to try make up for whats about to happen… and now I certainly don’t want to eat any more. Bring on chicken and rice!” – Mitch

ITS CHICKEN AND EGGS TIME!

Crossfitaphobia

The fear is real people! I have heard so many excuses about why people don’t want to join Crossfit, and one of the main reasons is fear. “It’s way too hard!” “I can’t lift heavy weights.” I don’t want to get too big.” “I’m scared I am going to get injured”… the list goes on.

Whats the deal?

Now, I understand why people have these feelings, before I tried it out these plagued my mind a bit too. Most of what we see on the media about Crossfit involves super ripped men and women lifting extremely heavy weights, climbing ropes, walking on their hands and generally just sweating for days. BUT, these people we see, on the Crossfit Games etc. are PROFESSIONALS guys! Crossfit is just like any other sport, you are going to get the top athletes who train 3-5 times a day, live on protein and make this their life, and they are going to be extremely fit, have large muscles and great bodies. But, for the general public, joining Crossfit is just like joining any other gym or sport, you push yourself as far as you want to go, and you certainly wont become ‘huge’ after a couple of sessions. The difference with Crossfit is that you have an entire community on your side and coaches to teach you and correct you on bad form. This prevents injuries and creates the best vibe.

The down low on injuries:

As far as injuries go, I’m pretty sure all sports come with their own risks and it would be silly to say that Crossfit is not the same. BUT, just like those other sports, they are preventable with correct form and pace. I used to train in a gym religiously, bicep curls and all. When I go every now and then, it astounds me how terrible form is and makes me wonder how people can slate Crossfit for injury when we have coaches trying to make sure everyone has the correct form, while in the gym individuals don’t know what they’re doing half the time.

My Take on Crossfit:

As i said, I was very skeptical about Crossfit, but after 5 months of training I have never felt better. My body has improved, I am stronger and I am able to do things I never thought I would do. I am now able to do 30+ double unders, kipping pull-ups, chest to bar pull ups, butterfly pull-ups, toes to bar, handstand walks, handstand push-ups… the list goes on. But my point is, if i had stayed in a regular gym, my primary goal would be aesthetics… I’l be honest, that is still my goal, but now I get excited to work on these skills and just do a WOD for the sake of doing it and not worrying about what muscle group I am going to concentrate on.

WARNING!

The one thing I will warn you about is that Crossfit is extremely addictive. I used to think doing one workout a day was enough (and sometimes too much) but now I mostly do two a day, because they are very short and I just feel like my body is able to do it. Once you start seeing the results and feeling the strength, you will understand what I mean. However, take my advice (even if i don’t take it myself), rest is gold.

So… now that I am done preaching, honestly, as long as you are doing some form of exercise, you are on the road to success. So hop to it!

You wanna know a secret?

Hard work and dedication

“Don’t Just Do It.

Destroy It!”

There is no secret. There is no secret to success. Most people know what it involves to become successful at something which is one of the reasons MOST people don’t attempt to peruse their dreams and goals. They are afraid of failure and the hard work involved in their pursuit. So, they settle for average jobs, average bodies, average health and average lives. Sure, you may get the odd person who stumbles into success or just gets plain lucky, but for the rest of us, success comes from hard work and dedication.

Health and fitness success is no different. If you want to change your body and become a better version of yourself, it takes A LOT of dedication, sacrifices, discipline and self-control. But, don’t let this put you off, all that hard work pays off when you reach a goal and that overwhelming feeling of pride and accomplishment fills your body.

Creating a healthier, happier version of yourself should be something everyone strives to do. This is YOUR life after all, why would you not want it to be the best life you could live. If that means eating fast food and carrying around an extra half a person attached to your body then please, don’t let me stop you. If that’s what makes you happy and how you envision your life then go ahead and do that. BUT… if that is not how you see yourself, then CHANGE it. Put down the fast food, pick up a salad. Get off the couch, put on your running shoes. Make your life meaningful, whatever that may be. If working in law is what creates meaning for you, then DO IT! For me, being healthy and fit and motivating others to follow that path brings a whole lot of meaning to my life. And THAT is what makes me want to sacrifice, be disciplined and have self-control in order to achieve the success that I want from life.

Hello 2015!

2014 was a year of changes, growth and self conquest and it sure was a good one! I woke up this morning, on the first day of a new year with a little headache from the inevitable drinking that came along with bidding farewell to 2014. Thinking about it now it doesn’t make much sense why you would want to start a new year with a hangover and exhaustion considering the fact that most people set resolutions to live a healthier life (me included). So, while lying in bed regretting the one two many drinks i consumed the night before, I decided that I am going to really make this year about health and treating my body with respect. Last year I found the balance between work, study, party and health, but now its time to develop my body into a well oiled machine!

So many people mock resolutions and goal setting but i think it is an extremely important thing to do. What is so wrong with wanting a better year for yourself and accomplishing your dreams?m Unfortunately most people never go through with their resolutions and consequently disappoint themselves. Do yourself a favour, decide what you want, write it down, develop a game plan and make it happen! There is no better feeling in the world than achieving what you have set out to do. Love and respect yourself enough to do those things for yourself. It is so great to get to the end of a year and be truly proud of yourself for what you have done.

Here are my resolutions for 2015:

• To reduce my alcohol consumption
• Eat only food that is going to benefit my body
• achieve firsts for at least 2 subjects
• Enter a fitness competition
• Work on all my relationships with the people I love
• Earn enough money to go to Thailand in July
• Get into the best shape of my life

It seems like a lot, and I might not achieve all of them, but i sure am going to try!

So… get a plan and start living the best year of your life to date. Make every day count. Love yourself. Love others. Treat yourself with respect and get everything you want.

Most of all… Do what you love and love what you do

Don’t you… Forget about me!

It has been a couple of months since I have posted a single thing and to be honest my only excuse is that I have been too busy trying to figure out my new life at University and how to perfect time management. I think it is safe to say that with first year finally done and dusted I can attempt to start blogging again.

This year has been an incredible one. I have found my passion and I am studying towards it. This year I was a personal trainer at the university gym while studying my first year of Human Kinetics and Ergonomics (the most interesting thing since….ANYTHING). I was also trying to balance working, studying, socializing and working out. I am proud to say that I have finished this year with the satisfaction of finding the balance between all four. I didn’t get first year spread (I actually lost weight and gained muscle), I didn’t fail a single class, I managed to go out nearly every weekend and make some amazing friends and I have been able to save a nice amount of money.

I am now going into 2015 with a completely new set of goals. I will be starting a new job at a Crossfit Box as an instructor along with my boyfriend who has finally come out of the British Army and will be moving in with me. I am upgrading my degree from a BA to a BSc.. making my life slightly more difficult but my degree a little more recognized and my brain slightly more saturated. I also plan on hopefully competing on the stage or entering a photographic fitness competition… so things are about to get a little more real.

With all this said, I would really like to keep blogging and sharing my fitness adventure with everyone. My accomplishments, mistakes, downfalls, successes and feelings that go along with it. I will be re-shaping my body and trying to find a whole new balance between life, love, work and success. So, don’t forget about me, watch this space… It’s only going to get better.